And there is nothing special about breathing. We do it daily, all our lives. And we can breathe through our nose, our mouth, maybe our toes – try it – as long as our breath is as perfectly comfortable as circumstances allow. We look for comfort and ease. When that is not possible, we look for more comfort and ease. When it is already there, we look for more comfort and ease. What can we do to make the breathing activity more comfortable – adjusting both external factors (noise levels, temperature), as well as internal factors (tension in shoulders, belly…)
Meditation – Breathing
So with the body, aligned in a comfortable state, we can follow our breath… Whether we breathe in, or breathe out… We just follow our breath and allow it to flow, comfortably… Noticing the cool dry air as it enters our nostrils, and warm, moist air as it leaves… Following the gradual filling of our nostrils with an inhale, as if smelling the delicate scent of a flower… Then letting the breath go, escape… Repeating the process, one, two, three thousand times… … … Our breathing is an activity that involves muscles drawing our breath in, followed by a letting go of those muscles as we allow the exhale to drift out like a sigh of relief…
Every out breath, a letting go that lets go slightly more than the previous out-breath… And as we follow our breath in, cool, dry air down our throat, warm, moist air coming out… Our breath can settle into a routine that is comfortable… Easy… And how freely does our rib cage move as we breathe in?… and out?… What can we do to increase our sense of comfort, of well-being?… So that, gradually, we can observe the similarity between inhale and exhale… No difference, whether we breathe in… Or out… Our rib-cage influences the movement of our belly and induces our breath… … our breath is enough to influence our rib-cage and belly…
And as we sit and follow our breath , our conscious and unconscious thoughts can start to fall into a rhythm, to calm down… And as we play with our breath and our attention, our awareness can continue to orient itself more and more towards our internal states…
Observing how much and how little our body cooperates with our breath…
Letting the exhale escape like a sea mist drifting over the wave tops…
And with just this short meditation, notice the changes in your body, your feelings, your mind.
One difficulty about teaching or practicing Tai Chi is the fact that it DOES take so much time, when so many people want quick fixes and won’t take the time to be and to feel. Opening minds as well as bodies, that is the trick. Releasing something – in the mind and the body – using a concentration that fully engages the mind and the body, so that time appears to pass quickly as we explore the tension in the back of our knee or the tendency of our hip to drop on one side. Noticing the flow of our thoughts. Following our breath – every last particle of breath as it slows almost to a standstill – before starting up again. Allowing the explorative quality of repetition to take one through a 60 minute lesson where perhaps only two new elements are introduced. And coming away from the class feeling better than when one went in, that is important.
Thank you Caroline for this.
Our relaxation encourages us to become aware of the effects of gravity on our body. That sense of downward flow as we release tensions and reduce muscular resistance. What is of interest to us is what this flow uncovers: what’s left when the weight of our muscles dissipates? our life force; life as unused potential; that something no longer hiding behind busy mind, activities, chores, habits. A presence. That something that animates tissues we are made of. This relaxation is an extraordinarily pleasant experience. It guides us to a body free of the weight of gravity; pumped full of life. Our body expands and becomes amazingly light, ethereal, a little like a helium-filled balloon. Levitation is within reach (hope springs eternal). Fulfilment. Peace. A pleasant tingling.
The many health benefits to breathing – obvious. We know intuitively how to breathe. Our approach to breathing is always to strive for comfort, ease, well-being. Any effort is an opportunity to investigate ways of reducing tension and improving the degree of comfort: a tension in the left hand side of my chest? Good – let’s see how to introduce some ease around it. Am I pushing too much air out? Great – how can I let go and invite the air to drift out with more ease? What can I possibly do to increase my level of comfort? And in our work we use our breath to slow down our thoughts and actions within the constraints of our environment.
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
Thanks. Welcome to my attempts.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I help keep visiting this blog incredibly often.
In our classes, from the outset, we start to acquire the first perceptions of our Tantien, the centre of gravity and the energetic centre of our body. Initially, we might think that the Tantien, centre of gravity and energy, is pure twaddle.
In our work in L’Art du Chi, we are striving to increase our awareness of the effects of gravity within our body. While this may be relatively easy, a lot of attention is required. Initially, our exercises are simple gymnastic exercises, but our attention is directed towards something other than muscular performance. It is directed towards the interplay between our muscles, the co-ordination or lack thereof between different systems, the mobilising of joints, the balance within our posture and, finally, our Chi.
And we also play with our breath and try to incorporate an awareness of gravity in the act of breathing, which helps (for those of us that need the help) in developing and refining our awareness of Chi